Belt loader



A. L. BUREAU June 28, 1949.

BELT LOADER 4 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 5, 1943 M M ma ma NL .m I R A June 28, 1949.

Filed NOV. 5, 1943 ecce c A. L. BUREAU BELT LOADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 YARTHUR 1..

AT RNEY BURE U A. L. BUREAU June 28, 1949.

BELT LOADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 5, 194s .im m

INVENTOR n ARTHUR L. BUREAU 7 /ATTORNEY A. L. BUREAU BELT LOADER June 28, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheel Filed Nov. 5, 1943 BYARrHUR 1 BUREAU A TORNEY 7/ Patented June l2a, 1,949

Baur LOADER E Arthur L. Bureau, United States Nav! 'Application November s, 194s, semi No. 509.081

(ci. ses-4s) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 16 Claims.

lThis invention relates to improvements in power belt loading machines and has particular reference to a novel machine of this character having a selector wheel with changeable tripping pins by means of which various combinations of ball and tracer ammunition may be belted. Machines generally intended for automatically loading disintegrable belts with various types oi' ammunition are disclosed in my copending applications illed August 4, 1942, Serial No, 453,545,

which has matured into Patent No. 2,397,944, and

filed February 2, 1943, Serial No. 474,452.

The machine of the first application, brieily summarized, has twin ammunition feed chutes from which ball and tracer rounds are mechanically delivered to a common ramming point in a fixed ratio, while the machine of the second application has a single feed chute in which any desired ratio of tracer to ball rounds is established by continuous manual emplacement of the rounds of' both kinds. In the present machine, the ball and tracer rounds are supplied by twin chutes, but the ratio of one to the other can be altered by merely regrouping the tripping pins through the medium of which the rounds are released.

The new loading machine aiIords several advantages which will meet a current need: iirst, the avoidance of having to adhere to a prescribed tracer to ball ammunition ratio; second, the elimination of the uncertainty of maintaining the accurate manual interspersement of tracer rounds in any adopted ratio; and third, lthe facility with which the machine can be changed from one ratio of feed to another and then continueto function automatically without any other manual attention than to keep the respective chutes supplied withfammunitlon of both kinds. A

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a cartridge belting machine having means which' can be set in a relatively short time lto cause an. automatic feeding of any one of ,a limited number of ratlos of tracer to ball rounds of ammunition, for example, one tracer to three ball rounds, one tracer to iive ball rounds, one tracer to seven ball rounds, etc. y

Another object of the invention is to employ a selector wheel and a system of variously combinable tripping pins for the purpose of periodically releasing the rounds of ammunition, the ratio of one type of ammunition to the other being determined by the order of permutation of the tripping pins.v l

Another object of the invention is to actuate the selector wheel simultaneouslywith each ramming stroke thereby to release a round with each stroke and insure the continuity of the supply of rounds in the ramming chamber.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved belting machine showing it mainly from the front;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the selector wheel and shutter assemblage;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the selector wheel actuating cam;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bracket hereinafter referred to;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the machine, again showing it from the front but from the end opposite to Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the back checkl device for the link belt, but with cam'plate 95 in its retracted position:

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of -the back check device, taken von the line 'l-l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a partially elevational and sectional view of the selector wheel and associated parts;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of the ammunition magazine, showing one position of the shutters:

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of' the magazine, parts being in section, illustrating the action of rocking one oi. the shutters;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the magazine, parts being in section, illustrating the dislodgement of the round upon return of the shutter to its original position;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the machine,

taken substantially on the line l2|2 vof Fig. and

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a portion o1' the machine as seen from the rear. Y

Parts of the instant machine and some parts identified with application Serial No. 474,452 are described as follows: The machine has abase 2| equipped with handles 22 providing' convenient grips by which to lift the mechanism i'or moving it when necessary. An' electric motor 23 constitutes the source of power which is delivered to the operating partsk of the machine-through a gear box or speed reducer 2|, the latter being driven by the motor through a shaft 25. A clutch' 21 actuated by a handle 28 starts and stops the machine, and in some instances can` be used to slow the machine by slipping the clutch.. l

A rod 30, reciprocable by a cam (not shown) inside of the gear box, actuates a mechanism for vibrating the links 48 which gravitate to the loading position in a chute 40. The details of this mechanism are disclosed in the application Serial No. 474,452, and are herein shown only to the extent of a bar 50 which is one of a pair of such bars acting on the link column from opposite sides to jog the hinge knucklesinto alignment.

An ammunition feed magazine. is mounted on the base 2|. This magazine' comprises two hoppers to which the rounds Il, 64a are delivered from diverging feed chutes 86, 65a and thereupon are-ranked in separate erect columns between which the partition structure 68 provides a division (Fig. 9). The structure 66 comprises plates which curve over at the tops, as at 61 (Figs. 5, 8, 12 and 13), to form mouths into which the rounds or the increments of a comparable load are fed from the chutes. The front and rear sides of the magazine converge at 68 into a single outlet 69 communicating with the feed chamber into which the rounds are eventually dropped.

The magazines 63 includes end plates 1|, 12 to which the upright edges of the front and rear sides are secured by screws or the like. A bracket (Fig. 8) supports that end of the magazine. The

other end of the magazine is supported by structure disclosed in the last-mentioned application and which forms no part of the present invention. It is suilicient to state that the structure includes an abutment block 15 against which the links 46 are drivenv (Fig. 6) in the ramming operation, and a link-advancing slide 80. This slide carries a paw l 8| (Fig. A8).

A cover plate 82 is secured at 83 -to the block 15 and extends forwardly therefrom sufficiently far to support a back check or detent device over the emerging cartridge belt. The inner portion of the plate 82 defines part of a housing in which the slide 80 is operable to cause the pawl 8| to advance the links to the ramming position and to push the belt out of the machine step by step.

The forwardly extending. portion of the plate 82 carries cylindrical tubes 84, 85 which are arranged in tandem and stand upright, as shown. At the top they are partly closed at 88 to provide abutments for the upper ends of springs 81 therein. These springs bear down upon the shoulders of spherically headed plugs 88 which ride the cartridge belt, as shown in Fig. '1. The spacing of the tubes is such as'to superimpose the respectivevplugs upon the crest of one of the links and upon adjacent link portions in the valley between two adjacent links. Thus a substantial length of completed belt is held in suspension from the belt chute 89. In practice, the advance end of the belt is permitted to hang down over the front edge of the chute, there to be caught in a suitable container. Studs 90 extend up from the plugs 88, occupying openings in the closures 86 and carrying cotterpins 9| which keep the detents in their proper places,

A roller stud 93 (Figs. 6 and 8) projects upwardly from the slide A88 and occupies the cam slot 94 of a plate 95. The plate is reciprocable and since theslot is formed at an angie to the direction of rectilinear motion, it follows that the walls of the slot will produce such cam'action on the stud as will reciprocate the slide 80. The cam plate is firmly secured to an upstanding wall 96 of the ramming slide 91. The slide is appropriately guided upon the base 2| in making its rectilinearmotions which are imparted thereto Y from the gearing in the box 24 through'suitable linkage.

A ledge is cooperable-with a ,break-link lever I2, the purpose of which is to check the ilow of cartridges through on ramming cycle. This allows a pair of links to go loose and thus cause a break in the belt. The lever is secured to one end of a shaft H3 journaled in bearings ||4 which are mounted on one side of the outlet 69. Ajspringi exerts "a constant downward pressure orf-the inner end ||6 of the lever, thus tending to keep its pin ||1 down and in contact with the top of theslide 91. The position which it then assumes is in a plane immediately below the ledge (Figs. 5 and 8), Whi-ch is the working or ramming position.

The shaft |l3'carries a shutter |20 which normally extends directly downward so as not to interfere with the column of cartridges in the outlet 69. When it is desired to provide a break in the link belt, the lever ||2 is pushed down while 'the ramming slide 91 is at the limit of its ramming stroke. The shutter |20 swings into the magazine and intercepts the cartridges. The pin ||1 rides the ledge on thereturn stroke of the` ramming slide,.thus supporting the cartridges in theI outlet during one ramming cycle.

The structure more directly characterizing the present invention isy described as follows: The ball and tracer cartridges v64, 64a are supported in the hoppers of the feed magazine 63 by shutters |2|, |22 which have a trough shape. The troughs of the shutters are normaly directed downwardly (Fig. 9)- so that their upper edges -catch and hold the overlying cartridge columns. The shutters are welded off-center lengthwise of rockable shafts |23, |24 which extend horizontally and longitudinally of the magazine in superimposed relationship, the shafts being journaled in the end plates 1|, 12 where they are held by set collars |25 (Fig, 12).

The shutters are rockable because of their being secured to the shafts |23, |24. Since the shafts are centered on the vertical partition line of the magazine, the shutters may be considered as centered between the ammunition hoppers. This arrangement requires the shutter troughs to be directed oppositeiy to each other to serve the respective columns of cartridges, and requires turning of the shutters in opposite directions when--the initial releases of cartridges are made. For that purpose a gear segment |26 is affixed by means of a set screw |21 to that end of the shaft |23 which protrudes from the end plate 1|. The segment |28 meshes permanently with the gear segment |28 of the upper trip arm |29. This arm is freely turnable on the adjacent end of shaft |24, and when the arm |29 is engaged by one of the short pins |30 on the selector wheel 3|, the accompanying turn of the selector wheel causes a suiiicient turn of the upper shutter |2| in one direction to drop the ball cartridges 64 a short distance. The freely turnable arm |29 is kept in its place on the shaft |24- by a set collar |32 on the outside and a lower trip arm |33 on the inside.

The lower trip arm |33 is secured at |34 to the shaft |24.y When this arm is engaged by one of the long pins |35 on the selector wheel |3|, the accompanying turn of the wheel causes a sufcient turn of the lower shutter in the direction opposite to that of the .shutter |2| to drop the tracer cartridges 64a a short distance. Even though the trip arms are interconnected by virtue' of being commonly carried by the shaft |24, there is no community of operation between them Each arm swings' independently of the a,474,2ie

other under the impulse of the successively pasing short and long pins 30, |36.

- The pins |30, |35 have screw tips |36 (Fig. 12)4 which are driven into threaded holes |31, |38 up to where the pins are shouldered. The respective holes |31, |36 are equally spaced in their respective circumferential zones which are of different diameters. The short and relatively numerous pins occupy the inside zone and actuate only the upper trip arm 128 while the long and relatively sparse pins occupy the outside zone and actuate only the lower trip arm' |33. The ratio adopted in the instant illustration is three to one; that is to say, three of the short pins |30 to one of the long pins |35. This ratio interpreted in terms of ammunition means the release of three ball cartridges 64 by the shutter |2| to one tracer cartridge' 64a by the shutter |22.

Other serial orders of cartridge release may be provided by properly reorienting the pins |30, |35. The present circumferential spacing of holes |31, |38 will allow such reorientation to release ve ball cartridges to one tracer or seven balls to one tracer. By filling all of the holes |31 with pins and leaving the holes |38 empty, only ball ammunition will be released. A pin |38 provides a common stop for the arms |28, |33 in their rest positions (Fig. 8), the arms being urged to the pin-engaging position by the weight of the ball and tracer cartridge columns 64, 64a upon the edges of the oicentered shutters |2|, |22. In the case of the arm |28, the requisite motion is transmitted from.the shutter |2| by the gearing |26, |28, while in the case of the arm |33, the motion is obtained directly since this arm and the shutter" |22 are secured to the same shaft.

Successive turns are imparted to the selector wheel |3|by a pawl arid ratchet mechanism |40, |4| shown in Fig. 8. The pawl is pivoted at |42 to the upper end of an erect rod |43 which has a roller |44 at its'lower end. This roller rides a cam |45 (Fig. 3) which is flanged at |46 for attachment to.the`ramming slide wall 86 on top of the plate 85. The axle |41, on which the roller is rotatably mounted in the f ork in the lower rod end, has a pin extension |48. The cam |45 extends lengthwise of the slide 86 and reciprocates with it. Consequently, the horizontal movements of the slide are accompanied by vertical -1 movements of the rod |43 and turning movements of the selector wheel.

A spring |48 keeps the roller |44 down on the cam |45 and thus causes the return stroke of the pawl |40 as the low part of the cam moves `-`lunder the roller. spring are anchored to the rod |43 and to a The respective ends of the which is to be regarded as fixed in matching holes in the end plates 1|, 12. Set collars |51 securedto the exposed ends of the shaft prevent i Y thepossibility of endwise movement, since one of the collars abuts the plate 12 and the other receives the' thrust of a spring plunger |56.k

The plunger' |58 protrudes from the open end of a barrel |58 which houses a spring |60. The

6 spring abuts the closed end of the barrel an the inner end of the plunger. The outer rounded end of the latter engages successive recesses |6| which match the radial positions of the ratchet teeth, thereby fixing temporarily the `positions of the selector wheel.

For the ypurpose of' momentarily stopping the selector wheel 3| during a break-link operation, use is made of a lever |62 (Fig. 8) and a connecting link |63 between the levers |62, ||2.v The lever |62 is pivoted at |64 to the bracket 13, the free end of the lever being directed toward the roller |44 and having a lug |65 underlying the pin |48. When presslng the break-link lever ||2 down at the limit of the ramming stroke of the slide 81, the lug |65 moves up and under the pin |48 which then is elevated because of the rod |43 being at the top of its stroke, thereby supporting the pawl |40 in the up position as long as the pin ||1 rides the ledge The selector wheel |3| simply remains idle during the ensuing idle ramming stroke, thereby avoiding the release of an extra round.

The operation of the machine is summarized as follows: Each inward stroke of the slide 81 (Fig. 12) drives one of the cartridges in the feed chamber 10, whether ball or tracer, into hinging position between a pair of links 46, the block 15 (Fig. 6) providing the abutment for the links. The exception occurs when the lever ||2 is pressed down for a break-link operation. On each ramming stroke of the slide 81 the cam |45, which gradually becomes higher toward the trailing edge of the slide, raises the rod |43 and moves the pawl |40 to the dotted position C in Fig. 8, imparting a one-twenty-fourth turn to the selector wheel. The number of teeth in the ratchet |4| equals the number of pins |30, |35 in the two circumferential planes in the rim of the wheel, so that the angular displacement of the ratchet by one tooth results in a movement of the wheel an amount equal to the circumferential distance between pins.

Successive pins end their advance in positions against either the trip arm |28 or |33. Fig. 8 shows one of the long pins |35 against the trip arm |33 of the lower release shutter |22, the sequences in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrating the ensuing occurrences in the magazine '63 when motion starts. Upon advance of the engaging pin |35 from the position in Fig. 8 to the position D in Fig. 10, the clockwise turn of the lower shutter from its position in Fig. 9 to that in Fig. 10 allows the lowering of the column of tracer cartridges 64a. The cartridge E which rests on the top edge of the shutter |22 in Fig. 9 then drops into the trough of the shutter where it rests until the pin |35 clears the arm |33 as in position F (Fig. 10).

The weight of the column turns the shutter and arm counterclockwise to the original4 position (Fig. 11), discharging the tracer cartridge E, which then gravitates to the feed chamber 10, and checking the remainder of the column at the upper edge of the shutter. Releases of cartridges on each side of the magazine occur on the power stroke of the slide 91 simultaneously with a ramming stroke.` Ample force is thus available to turn the respective shutter against the weight of the superimposed column of cartridges.

The action just described is repeated as each of the succeeding three short pins |30 moves the arm |29. The motion is transmitted to the shutter |2I by the gearing |28, |26 withthe same effect, namely, the dropping of the bottom cartridge, the catching thereof in the trough of the shutter and then the discharge thereof across the lower edge of the shutter. Since the selector wheel is adapted to supply a cartridge to the feed chamber 'I0 with each ramming stroke, it is desirable to suspend the function of this wheel when the slide 91 makes an idle stroke and it becomes necessary to break the belt. Were this provision not made, the outlet 69 would eventually become unduly loaded.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a freely rockable shutter having the weight of a cartridge imposed olf center thereon thereby to rock the shutter to normal cartridge supporting position, and means to counter rock the shutter to cartridge-displacing but intercepting position in readiness for discharge upon shutter gravitation to the original position.

2. In a feeding mechanism, a freely rockable trough-shaped .shutter supporting a load on one edge, the weight of the load causing the shutter to gravitate to normal supporting position, and means to positively rock the shutter counter to its free-rocking tendency, to displace the load from said edge and intercept it in the trough in readiness for discharge therefrom upon shutter gravitation to the original position.

3. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a freely rockable shutter having an off-center turning axis, stop means to prevent turning of the shutter under weight of a load imposed on one edge ofthe shutter, and means to turn the shutter away from the stop means, displacing the load from said edge and intercepting it by the body of the shutter for subseq'uent discharge upon gravitation of the shutter to the original position.

4. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a hopper to contain columns of superimposed cartridges, turnable shutters oifcentered in the hopper, each shutter comprising a downwardly directed trough bearing the weight of the respective cartridge column on the upper edge, a stop common to both shutters normally holding them in their supporting positions, and means to turn the shutters away from said stop in a prearranged order against the weight of the respective columns to release the lowermost cartridges into the respective troughs.

5. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a magazine having a pair of hoppers, a pair of shutters which are centralized in the magazine and are directed oppositely to adjacent hoppers, and

means for moving the shutters in a prearranged order and in opposite directions to cause releases of cartridges supported thereby.

6. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a magazine having a pair of hoppers, a pair of axially rockable shutters centralized in the magazine and directed oppositely to adjacent hoppers to support individual columns of cartridges, a pair of arms, one arm being fixed with the axis of one shutter, the other arm being turnable on the axis of said shutter, means interconnecting said other arm with the axis of the other shutter, and means to move the arms in a prearranged order, thereby to actuate the shutters for the release of the cartridges.

commonly urged by force of the weight of the cartridge columns upon the shutters, and means moving in different planes, respectively, to reach the respective arms and displace them from said stop means in a prearranged order.

8. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a magazine having a pair of hoppers, a pair of shutters to support individual columns of cartridges, actuating means for the shutters comprising an arm for each shutter, said arms being of different lengths, stop means against which the arms are commonly urged by force of the weight of the cartridge columns upon the shutters, and a turnable selector wheel having pins movable in different circumferential planes to engage and move the respective arms according to a prearranged distribution of said pins. l

9. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a magazine having a pair of hoppers, a pair of shutters to support individual columns of cartridges in the hoppers, actuating means for the shutters comprising an arm for each shutter, the arms being of different lengths, common stop means for the arms, a turnable selector wheel having pins movable in different circumferential planes to engage and move the respective arms according to a prearranged distribution of said pins, and means to move the wheel with a step motion.

10. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a magazine having a pair of hoppers, a pair of shutters to support individual columns of cartridges in the hoppers, a shaft for each of the shutters, a selector wheel having a rim, a plurality of pins of different lengths, means by which pins of similar lengths are attached to the rim in individual circular series and in prearranged sequential order, an arm secured to one of the shafts and extending into the path of one ofthe series of pins, an arm loose on said one shaft, being located to one side of said secured arm and extending into the path of another one of the series of pins, means operatively connecting said loose arm vwith the other shaft, and means to move the wheel with a step motion.

11. In a cartridge feeding machine, a hopper to contain a quantity of cartridges, a shutter for releasing a cartridge, a pin mechanism for intermittently actuating the shutter, a pawl and ratchet device for operating the pin mechanism, and a cam periodically actuated to operate the pawl.

12. In a cartridge feeding machine, a pin and shutter arrangement for releasing single cartridges for gravitation, a reciprocable vpawl and turnable ratchet for operating said arrangement with a step motion, means optionally movable into position to intercept the gravitating cartridges, and means actuated by the intercepting means to hold the pawl in an inactive position thereby to suspend operation of the pin and shutter arrangement.

13. In a cartridge feeding mechanism,.a shutter for releasing individual cartridges, an operating arm for the shutter, a wheel having pins following a prescribed path and successively engaging the arm to intermittently actuate the shutter, a pawl and ratchet mechanism by which measured step motions are imparted to the wheel, the ratchet having spaced recesses, and springactuated means engaging succeeding recesses to temporarily iix the position of the pin wheel at the end of every step motion.

14. In a cartridge belting machine, a chute along which a belt of linked cartridges is advanced with a step motion, spring-actuated plugs bearing down on the belt, and supporting means for the plugs including tubes which are spaced so as to cause the plugs to bear on the crest of one link and in the valley of an adjacent pair of links at the end of each step motion.

15. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a hopper to contain a column of cartridges, a shutter in the hopper having 'a turning axis off-centered from the shutter, thereby enabling rocking of the off-centered shutter in one direction toward a hopper wall contiguous to the shutter under the weight of the column,-means limiting the turning of the shutter in said direction, resulting in a temporary jamming and supporting action of the shutter for the column, and means to counterrock the shutter against the weight of the column for the release of the bottom cartridge and its momentary interception between said wall and the shutter in its counter-rocked position.

16. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, a hopper to contain a column of cartridges, a troughshaped shutter in the hopper, having a turning axis oir-centered from the trough thereby enabling rocking of the off-centered shutter in one direction toward a hopper wall contiguous to the shutter under the weight of the column, means limiting the turning of the shutter in said direction, resulting in a temporary jamming and supporting action for the column between said wail and one edge of the trough, and means to counter-rock the shutter against the weight of the column for the release of the bottom cartridge and its momentary interception between said wall and the trough of the shutter.

ARTHUR L. BUREAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,127,215 Erwin Feb. 2, 1914 1,505,691 Barkstrom Aug. 19, 1924 2,094,620 Rodler Oct. 5, 1937 2,123,915 Rodier July 19, 1938 2,265,696 Mullins Dec. 9, 1941 2,289,393 Tumock July 14, 1942 2,320,465 Pilcher June 1, 1943 2,335,646 Chalmers Nov. 30, 1943 2,336,676 Erickson et al Dec. 14, 1943 

